Rockton native tapped for Prairie Hill School Board

SOUTH BELOIT — The Prairie Hill School Board is back to full strength after appointing Jason Crouch to a two-year term. Crouch replaces Richard Cushing, who resigned in August for health reasons.

Greg Stanley

SOUTH BELOIT — The Prairie Hill School Board is back to full strength after appointing Jason Crouch to a two-year term. Crouch replaces Richard Cushing, who resigned in August for health reasons.

Crouch grew up in Rockton and graduated from Hononegah High School. He works in finance and has two daughters, ages 2 and 4, who will be entering Prairie Hill in the coming years.

“I’d love to see this district continue to run the way it has,” Crouch said. “This is a district that surrounding communities try to create their own policies around. It’s progressive and very successful. The advantages kids have here socially and academically are as good as anywhere.”

Crouch was selected over two other applicants, including David Wright, who was a coin flip away from gaining a four-year seat in the April elections.

Wright and incumbent Jerry Barenbaum each finished with 183 votes in the first tie in recent Winnebago County history. Barenbaum won a coin flip at the Winnebago County Administration Building and was awarded the seat.

When reached by email before the board announced the new member, Wright said he didn’t expect to be appointed. He feels his best chance to gain a seat will be in the next election in 2013.

Crouch said he intended to run in the last election, but by the time he knew there were open positions, the deadline had passed.

“I’ve been approached in the last couple years to run both here as well as at the high school district,” Crouch said. “I thought it’d be interesting to get involved, and I’d like to see the inner workings of things and see how a district as successful as Prairie Hill is run.”

Staff writer Greg Stanley can be reached at gstanley@rrstar.com or 815-987-1369.

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